- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- Liberal
- Mississauga East—Cooksville
- Ontario
- Voting Attendance: 67%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $103,294.29
- Government Page
Madam Speaker, that is what committee work is there for. The committee has the opportunity to dig deep into the bill and look at ways to enhance and better the legislation. That is a very important aspect.
In the end, I believe that this bill is about bringing Canadians and our institutions together. It is about making sure that we break through those silos, as we have just heard, and being able to set up the type of cybersecurity system that we are all looking for. In no way do I see this to be a partisan piece of legislation. It is something that we wholeheartedly feel strongly about in the House and that we can make a significant difference on.
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Madam Speaker, it is also great to work with this member on the finance committee. The way that we work on the finance committee is how this bill is being structured and how it would work. The bill talks about ensuring that we work across party lines. This is a non-partisan thing. As parliamentarians, we are all here to protect Canadians in the best way that we possibly can. We know, in our distinctive ridings, that we get many calls, emails and letters from concerned citizens who are being hit by these attacks.
I can say to the member that we will do this in a non-partisan way. We will reach out to stakeholders, again, across all lines. We have too many silos. We heard the member for Scarborough—Guildwood say that we have to break down the silos. I feel that the legislation would be able to do this, and it would strengthen our cybersecurity systems.
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Madam Speaker, I very much enjoy working with the hon. member on our finance committee. The member always looks for pragmatic solutions.
For our cybersecurity to work, we have to work right across party lines. We have to work across all levels of government, with all our institutions, the private sector and the public sector. That is the only way that we are going to implement a system that really has an effect and is able to combat these cybercriminals we find and what we are being bombarded with. They are always trying to stay one step ahead, and the only way for us to combat that is to work together.
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Madam Speaker, let me start off with the point you were just talking about, because in the 21st century, cybersecurity is national security. It behooves us all as parliamentarians to work as hard as we can to protect our businesses, consumers and institutions from cyber-threats. That is why I am so grateful and delighted to be here today in the House to speak to the second reading debate of Bill C-26, which concerns the important topic of cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity is a matter of great concern to my constituents of all ages. I firmly believe both the public and private sectors need to be able to protect themselves against malicious cyber-activity, including cyber-attacks. As parliamentarians, it is our duty to establish a framework for secure critical infrastructure that we can all rely on.
The past few decades have seen remarkable advancements in computer and Internet technology. Online connectivity has become an integral part of the lives of Canadians and people around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how we rely on so much on the Internet for everything we do, from education to conducting business and staying in touch with loved ones. With more and more people depending on the Internet, including young children and seniors, our most vulnerable, it is crucial to ensure that we have a secure and reliable cyber-connectivity.
Our government is committed to improving cybersecurity to safeguard our country's future in cyberspace. However, as technology and cyber systems continue to evolve, our infrastructure is becoming more interconnected and interdependent. This brings new security vulnerabilities.
For instance, personal interactions like banking and credit card transactions are now mainly conducted online, making cybersecurity even more important. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, ransomware attacks were among the most significant cybersecurity threats in recent years.
Cybercriminals continue to use sophisticated tactics to gain access to critical systems, steal sensitive data and extort money from victims. In addition to ransomware attacks, other common cybersecurity threats include phishing attacks, malware, insider threats and distributed denial of service attacks. I know members have all received emails or phone calls with these types of threats. We do not know where they are coming from, but they are trying to crack our system and do criminal activity.
As more organizations adopt cloud computing, like we do here, Internet of Things devices and artificial intelligence, these technologies are also becoming significant targets for these cybercriminals.
Cybersecurity threats can have severe consequences for individuals, businesses, all levels of government. These include financial losses, which we have heard are in the billions, reputational damage, legal liabilities and even physical harm. We have read and heard the stories of those who have taken their lives because of these harmful attacks. It is crucial to take proactive steps to prevent and mitigate cybersecurity risks.
Bill C-26 is a landmark legislation that would amend the Telecommunications Act and other consequential acts to enhance cybersecurity. The bill proposes to add more security as an express policy objective of the telecommunications sector, bringing it in line with other critical infrastructure sectors.
The key objectives of the bill are twofold. First, in part 1, the bill proposes to amend the Telecommunications Act to add security expressly as a policy objective. This amendment aims to align the telecommunications sector with other critical infrastructure sectors.
The changes we are bringing about through this legislation would authorize the Governor in Council and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, after consultation with stakeholders, to establish and implement the policy statement “Securing Canada's Telecommunications System”, which the minister announced in May of 2022. The primary objective is to prevent the use of products and services by high-risk suppliers and their affiliates. This would enable the Canadian government, when necessary, to restrict telecommunications service providers' utilization of products or services from high-risk suppliers.
With such restrictions, consumers would not be exposed to potential security risks. This approach would allow the government to take security measures similar to those of other federal regulators in their respective critical infrastructure sectors.
The second part of Bill C-26 pertains to the introduction of the critical cyber systems protection act, or CCSPA, which mandates designated operators in federally regulated sectors such as finance, telecommunications, energy and transportation to undertake specific measures to safeguard their critical cyber systems. It would include the ability to take action on other vulnerabilities, such as human error or storms causing a risk of outages to these critical services. In addition, the act would facilitate organizations' capacity to prevent and bounce back from various forms of malevolent cyber-activities like electronic espionage and ransomware. Notably, cyber-incidents that surpass a certain threshold will necessitate mandatory reporting.
Both parts 1 and 2 of Bill C-26 are required to ensure the cybersecurity of Canada's federally regulated critical infrastructure, and in turn, protect Canadians and Canadian businesses. The need to intensify our efforts is apparent because of the advent of new technologies we are hearing about like 5G.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted our growing dependence on technology. In addition, in my riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville, there is a growing concern about Russia's unwarranted and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in international tensions and a range of potential threats. Such threats include supply chain disruptions and cyber-attacks from state and non-state actors.
We are not starting from scratch in our fight against this threat, though. Our government is always vigilant when it comes to any type of threat, including cyber-threats. Our government has made several investments in cybersecurity in recent years to improve the country's cyber-resilience and protect Canadians' data and privacy. For example, in 2018, we created the national cybersecurity strategy. This was based on the consultations that we initiated with Canadians in 2016. Our government adopted this strategy to establish a framework aimed at protecting citizens and businesses from cyber-threats while leveraging the economic benefits of digital technology.
Cyber-incidents involve a certain threshold at which reporting would be required. This legislation would give the government a new tool to compel action, if necessary, in response to cybersecurity threats or vulnerabilities.
Canada is working alongside other democratic nations around the globe, both in the context of our Five Eyes relationship and in the G7 alliance. These multilateral forums are intensely focused on devising strategies to counter a range of cyber-threats, such as ransomware attacks; the dissemination of false information, which we have seen too often; and attempts by malicious actors to engage in cyber-espionage.
To facilitate this collaboration, we are emphasizing the importance of sharing information and intelligence, thereby breaking down those silos. This would enable us to more effectively combat efforts made to destabilize our economies and undermine Canadian interests. While we are currently engaged in a debate regarding Bill C-26, we are also taking proactive measures to address the current gaps in our domestic cybersecurity landscape, while simultaneously partnering with like-minded nations to confront these challenges in a comprehensive manner.
We have listened to Canadians, our security experts and our allies, and we are following the right path. We will ensure that our networks and our economy are kept secure. A safe and secure cyberspace is important for Canadian competitiveness, economic stability and long-term prosperity.
Bill C-26 aims to enhance designated organizations' preparedness, prevention, response and recovery abilities—
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